Monday, October 18, 2010

So today i feel that this week i need to make sure i work out my heart has been working on me and i want to loose weight and have gotten off track because of school No more will i be having this so here are some rules i found to help everyone burn more.

News flash: You don't have to overhaul your life to work off mega calories. Here are our eight simple rules for squeezing the most out of your everyday routine to score the silhouette you've been sweating for.

By Caroline Hwang

Rules 1-4
So you think you know the drill on getting a good body. But we're not after good; we're after great.

Rule #1: Be an early bird to get the workout.
Lace up first thing and you'll increase your odds of exercising today threefold. A study of 500 people at the Mollen Clinic, a preventive medicine and wellness center in Scottsdale, Arizona, found that 75 percent of those who worked out in the morning did so regularly, compared with just half the afternoon exercisers and a quarter of the post-work crowd. "At the beginning of the day, you have the fewest excuses for skipping exercise," says clinic founder Arthur Mollen, DO. Not waking up early enough, of course, is the main one. "Limit using the snooze button to only five minutes so that you don't fall into a deep sleep again," Dr. Mollen advises. Bonus! You'll go to work feeling focused: A recent study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found that 20 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise improved concentration, reading comprehension, and cognitive function.

Rule #2: Hit the metal before the pedal.
Instead of going from zero to 60 to sweat off the calories, consider this: Doing a quick sculpting routine pre-cardio could increase the amount of fat you melt. Exercisers in a study at the University of Tokyo who biked within 20 minutes of lifting weights tapped more of their fat stores than those who rested longer or didn't tone at all.

The firm-then-burn order is also good for your heart: Arteries stiffen during resistance training, increasing blood pressure, but a cardio chaser such as a 20-minute run counteracts these effects and expedites your arteries' return to normal, explains Rohit Arora, MD, chairman of cardiology at the Chicago Medical School. Plus, strength training "takes coordination and good technique, so you get more out of it if you come to it fresh," says Kent Adams, PhD, director of the Exercise Physiology Lab at California State University, Monterey Bay. "Meanwhile, cardio is a rhythmic, low-skill activity that's the easier of the two to do in a fatigued state," Adams says.

Rule #3: Push your pace, rev your metabolism.
Finished toning and ready to get sweaty? Gun it a bit for a bigger afterburn. "High-intensity exercise increases the release of growth hormones, which mobilize fat to be used as fuel, plus it causes your metabolism to stay elevated about 10 to 15 percent above its baseline, so you're burning more fat for several hours post-workout," says Arthur Weltman, PhD, director of the Exercise Physiology Laboratory at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. In other words, if you worked off 300 calories during your session, you'll get a bonus burn of about 45 calories even after you've toweled off.

To net the effect, stick to a speed you consider challenging: In a 16-week study that Weltman conducted with obese women, those who worked out at what they felt was high intensity (a brisk walk or jog in most cases) three days a week and at low intensity for two whittled an inch and a half more from their waists than the low-intensity-only group. Or try alternating between sprinting (racewalking, pedaling fast, swimming at top speed) for one minute and slowing down enough to recover for the next minute.

Rule #4: Give up your seat to trim your bottom line.
Even regular exercisers could benefit from extra toning of their tush, the largest muscle group in the body, which dozes all day at your desk job. "When you're walking or running, it's your hamstrings, hip flexors, and calf muscles that get the most work," says FITNESS advisory board member Vonda Wright, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "Unless you're going uphill, your glutes don't play a major role." The good news? If you bailed on doing those butt-firming squats during your workout, you can easily sneak them in when your cube mate isn't looking. Stand up from your chair, feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your bottom to the seat as though you're going to sit, touch down, and then spring up, squeezing your glutes as you straighten. Do three sets of 10 to 15 reps two or even three times throughout the day.

Rule #5: Take a power walk to beat a midday slump.

Call it the 20-20 rule: As little as 20 minutes of low-intensity aerobic activity such as walking can give you a 20 percent surge in energy, research at the University of Georgia in Athens finds. "It's paradoxical: Many people assume that they'll get tired from exercise. But the opposite actually happens," says study author Patrick O'Connor, PhD, a professor of kinesiology. "We're not certain what the biological mechanism is," he says, "but indirect evidence suggests that brain chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin are altered and cause the improved energy." Besides, that quick recharge just burned about 75 calories. Sure beats adding 250 spike-then-slump calories' worth of Skittles.

Rule #6: Do the two-step.
When you opt for the stairs, go at them two at a time -- as long as you're not wearing heels. The quick bursts of power activate your legs' fast-twitch muscle fibers, which burn more calories than slow-twitch fibers. Plus, you'll be using a part of your muscles that commonly doesn't get enough action. "Fast muscle cells are designed so you can jump far, kick hard, punch fast -- moves that you call on less and less in modern society," says Scott Mazzetti, PhD, a professor of exercise science at Salisbury University in Maryland. "But unfortunately it's a use-them-or-lose-them situation, so it's good to activate them regularly."

Rule #7: Go like Gumby.
Consistent stretching significantly decreases muscle soreness, according to a study at the Norwegian Knowledge Centre for Health Services in Oslo. Skipped your stretches postexercise? Wind down with this 17-minute allover loosener from Jennifer Huberty, PhD, an exercise physiologist at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Warm up first with 5 minutes of brisk high-knee marching.

Toe-reach stretch (targets hamstrings, which remain shortened all day as you're seated): Sit on the floor with your left leg straight in front of you, knee slightly bent, right leg bent out to the side and resting on the floor. Reach for your toes without bouncing and hold for 30 seconds; relax. Do 3 stretches, then switch legs and repeat.

Hip-flexor stretch (targets hips, which also are tight in desk jockeys): Lie faceup on the floor with your left leg bent, left foot flat, and bend your right knee out to the side so your right ankle is crossed over and resting on the lower left thigh. Grasp your left thigh with both hands and pull it toward you until you feel a comfortable stretch in your right hip, glutes, and outer thigh. Hold for 30 seconds; switch legs and repeat. Do 3 stretches per side.

A recent FITNESS poll found that sneakers -- with sports bras being a close second -- are the piece of gear that is forgotten most often, foiling women's workout plans. Clear that obstacle by, well, making them an obstacle in front of the door you exit in the a.m., suggests Diane Klein, PhD, chair of exercise and sports sciences at Tennessee Wesleyan College in Athens. "Seeing them will remind you that you planned to exercise," Klein says. For motivation to move, kicks are worth a thousand words.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Hey so due to my horrible schedual im changing the belly busters and yoga poses and pretty much everything else to one a week only because my schedual is nuts and i really want to keep up with the blog but have been horribly unsuccessful with this hope you guys dont mind. This is the last yoga pose of the day after this it shallbe turning to the everything's of the week lol.

Warrior III Pose

Virabhadra = the name of a fierce warrior, an incarnation of Shiva, described as having a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, and a thousand feet; wielding a thousand clubs; and wearing a tiger's skin.

Step by Step

1) Stand in Tadasana, exhale and fold foward to Uttanasana. From Uttanasana, exhale and step your left foot back into a high lunge position. Your right knee should be more or less at a right angle. Lay the midline of your torso (from the pubis to the sternum) down on the midline of the right thigh (from the knee to the hip crease) and bring your hands to your right knee, right hand to the outer knee, left hand to the inner. Squeeze the knee with your hands, lift your torso slightly, and with an exhalation, turn it slightly to the right.

2) Now from the lunge position, stretch your arms forward, parallel to the floor and parallel to each other, palms facing each other. Exhale and press the head of the right thighbone back and press the heel actively into the floor. Synchronize the straightening of the front leg and the lifting of the back leg. As you lift the back leg, resist by pressing the tailbone into the pelvis.

3) Normally students come up into Virabhadrasana III by lunging the torso forward. This tends to shift the body weight onto the ball of the front foot and unbalance the position. Don't allow the torso to swing forward as you move into position; instead, as you straighten the front knee, think of pressing the head of the thighbone back. This centers the femur in the hip joint, grounds the heel into the floor, and stabilizes the position.

4) The arms, torso, and raised leg should be positioned relatively parallel to the floor. For many students the pelvis tends to tilt. Release the hip [of the raised leg] toward the floor until the two hip points are even and parallel to the floor. Energize the back leg and extend it strongly toward the wall behind you; reach just as actively in the opposite direction with the arms. Bring the head up slightly and look forward, but be sure not to compress the back of your neck.

5) Stay in this position for 30 seconds to a minute. Release back to the lunge on an exhalation. Bring your hands to the floor on either side of the right foot, and on an exhalation, step your left foot forward to meet your right. Stay in this forward bend for a few breaths, then repeat for the same length of time on the other side.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Because dance is one of the things taking up my time i chose this pose. if you can't do it dont fret just keep trying and eventually you will be successful.

﻿We'll start with a modified version of the pose. The full pose will be described in the Variation section below.

Step by Step

1) Stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Inhale, shift your weight onto your right foot, and lift your left heel toward your left buttock as you bend the knee. Press the head of your right thigh bone back, deep into the hip joint, and pull the knee cap up to keep the standing leg straight and strong.

2) There are two variations you might try here with your arms and hands. In either case, try to keep your torso relatively upright. The first is to reach back with your left hand and grasp the outside of your left foot or ankle. To avoid compression in your lower back, actively lift your pubis toward your navel, and at the same time, press your tailbone toward the floor.

3) Begin to lift your left foot up, away from the floor, and back, away from your torso. Extend the left thigh behind you and parallel to the floor. Stretch your right arm forward, in front of your torso, parallel to the floor.

4) The second option with the hands is to sweep your right hand around behind your back and catch hold of the inner left foot. Then sweep the left hand back and grab the outside of the left foot. This variation will challenge your balance even more. Then raise the thigh as described in step 3. This second variation will increase the lift of your chest and the stretch of your shoulders.

5) Stay in the pose for 20 to 30 seconds. Then release the grasp on the foot, place the left foot back onto the floor, and repeat for the same length of time on the other side.

Full Pose

For the full pose, perform step 1 as described above. Then turn your left arm actively outward (so the palm faces away from the side of the torso), bend the elbow, and grip the outside of the left foot. (You can also grab the big toe with the first two fingers and the thumb.) The fingers will cross the top of the foot, the thumb will press against the sole. Inhale, lift the left leg up, and bring the thigh parallel to the floor. As you do this, rotate the left shoulder in such a way that the bent elbow swings around and up, so that it points toward the ceiling. It requires extreme flexibility to externally rotate and flex the shoulder joint in this way. Reach the right arm straight forward, in front of the torso and parallel to the floor. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds, release, and repeat on the second side for the same length of time.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Reboot Your Exercise Motivation

You Think: "The scale is stuck. Why bother?"

Rethink: "This pudge will budge."

Stick with the scale: Love it and you'll probably lose pounds. In a study at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, of 3,026 adults who were watching their waistlines, those who weighed themselves more frequently lost more weight over two years or regained fewer pounds. This research backs up the benefits of daily weigh-ins, but weekly may do the trick: Three-quarters of the successful long-term slimmers listed in the National Weight Control Registry step on the scale at least once a week. "Plateaus are part of the process," says Kim H. Miller, PhD, associate professor of health promotion at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. Stay motivated in the meantime by giving yourself credit for how much better your clothes fit and for improving your overall health.

Redo: Rev up your routine

"As your metabolism changes to accommodate your smaller size, you are going to have to change what you're doing to coax your body to keep responding and shedding fat," Miller says. If you're eating light already (around 1,500 calories a day), don't cut back more; turn up the intensity and/or increase the length of your workout session a smidge.

This will not only burn more calories but also increase your cardio capacity, meaning that everything feels easier to do, so you can keep exercising. Crank the resistance on your stationary bike, push the pace of your walk or run for one-minute intervals, or add step-ups or jumping jacks between sets of toning moves: The cardio-strength mix of circuit training burns 512 calories per hour, more than double that of lifting alone.

You Think: "I can't do another rep."

Rethink: "My biceps rock!"

Need a lift? Just psyching yourself up while you're strength training can increase your muscle power by 8 percent, according to a study from the School of Sport and Exercise Science at Wintec, Waikato Institute of Technology in New Zealand; you'll reap about 12 percent more power imagining those perfect lifts versus when you're distracted. Depending on how pooped your arms are, "mental imagery could help to activate additional motor units," says Brad Hatfield, PhD, professor of kinesiology at the University of Maryland in College Park, stimulating muscle fibers enough to help eke out more curls.

Redo: Dumb(bell) it down

If you can't muster more reps at the same weight, go lighter. Decrease the amount that you're lifting in 10 percent increments until you can finish the set with good form, suggests Juan Carlos Santana, director of the Institute of Human Performance gym in Boca Raton, Florida. "The bigger the effort, the bigger your body's response will be," he says. That means netting some 46 percent greater strength gains by doing two or three sets compared with only one, says a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. And don't beat yourself up: Pushing your limits just a little further gets you firming results you'll feel, Santana says.

You Think: "Run a mile? Me? Not!"

Rethink: "Hey, doesn't that jogger look like Brad Pitt?"

When you're trying to slog through that first -- or extra -- mile, shift your attention to the things around you, says Alan St. Clair Gibson, PhD, MD, chair of sport sciences at Northumbria University in England: "You might slow down, but it will help you keep going." Also add a can-do mental mantra, like "I'm a running machine!" to put more mettle in your pedals.

Redo: Divide and conquer

Split your run into walking and running parts at first, says Joe Puleo, head cross country and track-and-field coach at Rutgers University in Camden, New Jersey, and coauthor of Running Anatomy. Jog a quarter of a mile, walk for half a mile, and finish by jogging another quarter. As you improve, stretch out the jogging and shrink the walking segment before jogging that final quarter mile. Do this three or four times a week and "you'll be able to run the whole distance in about six weeks," Puleo says.

Get started with a running routine >>

You Think: "I hurt my knee. There goes exercise for a month."

Rethink: "Pilates, here I come!"

Your body starts to lose conditioning within three days of your becoming a couch potato. If that ain't enough to light a fire under you, tell yourself that there's more than one way to reach your exercise goal, says Trent Petrie, PhD, director of the Center for Sport Psychology at the University of North Texas in Denton. "Write down all the negative things you're thinking, and next to those, reframe them into more positive statements," he says. For example, "What a downer; I can't kickbox" becomes "Oh, well, now I'll finally pop in that Abs of Steel workout DVD."

Redo: Pull a switcheroo

Dance class is out, but there are plenty of low- or no-impact exercise options that melt fat. Depending on your injury, moderate elliptical training (416 calories an hour), cycling (512 calories), or jogging in water (512 calories) can be an appropriate alternative, says Robert S. Gotlin, DO, director of orthopedic and sports rehabilitation at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City and editor of Sports Injuries Guidebook. But if just bending your knee causes pain, Dr. Gotlin suggests shifting your cardio to your top half by using an upper body ergometer (a hand crank that you'll find in some gyms) or hitting a boxing bag. See your doc to be sure which route is best for you.

You Think: "Classes like Spinning and boot camp seem too intense for me."

Rethink: "That guy in bike shorts doesn't look so tough."

"Usually, we're afraid of the unknown," Petrie says, so testing the waters first will eventually allow you to dive in. Observe a class from the warm-up and beyond rather than peek in at the midpoint, when the action is sweatiest and most intimidating.

Redo: Go at your own pace
"The great thing about Spinning is that you control your experience," says instructor Kimberly Fowler, founder of YAS Fitness Centers in California. "If the instructor tells you to turn up the resistance, go to where you feel you can keep up; then if you get tired, lower it." (Psst! Those classmates who look like Lance Armstrong are probably doing the same.) In any group exercise class, your main goal is to get the hang of it, so aim for form over speed.

You Think: "Exercising at home is my only option: blechhh."

Rethink: "There's no place like home -- to get a hot body."
First, identify what would give you the willpower to stay off the couch, "then make a plan to get you in the right frame of mind to commit to exercise," Petrie says. Put your workout clothes on so you know that exercising is the next thing to do after you fulfill your obligations, he says, whether those involve feeding the cat after work or taking the kids to school in the morning. Then create a workout schedule with built-in accountability: Recruit a friend to do fitness DVDs with on specific days or join a walking or running club (rrca.org) that meets regularly.

Redo: Order takeout

Beam a trainer to your living room for a fraction of the in-gym cost. At sites like fitorbit.com ($9.99 a week and up), trainers give you the drill-sergeant (or cheerleader or buddy) treatment by means of e-mail and their personal Web pages. Even celeb trainers, like Kim Lyons (kimlyons.com), formerly of The Biggest Loser, see clients via Internet sites. You can also get a customized routine and diet from FITNESS's online Personal Trainer that progressively challenges you on your way to Slimville ($39.99 for three months, $8.99 a month thereafter; or the free 10-day trial).

Try the FITNESS Personal Trainer >>

You Think: "Staying on a cardio machine for more than 30 minutes is slow torture."

Rethink: "Who'll be eliminated tonight on The Bachelorette?"
"Dedicate your treadmill time to doing things that you normally can't, such as watching your favorite TV show or listening to a new playlist or podcast," Petrie says. Start a few minutes before showtime so you'll be inspired to push past the 30-minute barrier to see how the episode ends.

Redo: Save the rest for last
Plan your workout so the end is all downhill, so to speak. In a study at the Department of Health and Exercise Science at the College of New Jersey in Ewing, treadmillers who did higher-intensity followed by lower-intensity exercise burned more fat and felt that their workouts were less stressful than when the order was reversed. Try it yourself on any cardio machine with this 45-minute plan from Los Angeles-based personal trainer Michael Berg.

The first 25 minutes: Warm up for five minutes at an easy pace. Then increase your speed to a moderate intensity, and for the next 20 minutes, up the incline or resistance 1 percent every two minutes.

The last 20 minutes: Lower the setting to an incline or resistance level that's comfortable but slightly challenging and do it for 15 minutes. Follow with a five-minute cool-down at an easy pace with the incline set on zero.

Rethink: "Just 10 minutes."
"There's a difference between being mentally tired and being physically tired," the University of Kentucky's Miller says. "Doing something physical will actually help combat some of the mental fatigue." Try Miller's trick to get your noggin on board: Tell yourself that you're not going to do more than 10 minutes of exercise. Often this leads to extending the time once you get into it, he notes. In a study at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, doing 10 minutes of moderate exercise, such as light pedaling on a stationary bike, was enough to improve mood and fatigue levels.

Redo: Stack the deck in your favor
Make the path home go through your gym, Miller suggests; not only will the sight of exercisers spark you to move, but you'll capitalize on the momentum of not having parked yourself on the recliner post-work. Also, have an alternative workout you can switch to if you're not feeling up to your usual routine or if you miss a class: Leave a workout DVD in the player at home or keep your yoga mat at the ready. Women in a study at Columbia University who had a written plan B exercised twice as much as those who didn't.

Hello everyone im so sorry that i have not updated recently school has very much taken over my life. However since my birthday alot has happened and i will be positing some more about everything that this month has ended with. But for right now i have a serious favor to ask my sorority is actually attending a walk we must be sponsored to walk the was is for suicide prevention. Some of my sisters have recently lost very close friends to suicide and the walk helps the american foundation for suicide prevention raise money to help those who need to seee help before they attempt somethings they will regret.

Here is the link : my name is yvonne valladares on this please support me or any of the other sisters so that we may walk. OUT OF THE DARKNESS FOUNDATION